Justin Drew Bieber was born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario, at St Joseph's Hospital,[14][15] and was raised in Stratford, Ontario.[16] He is the son of Jeremy Jack Bieber and Patricia "Pattie" Mallette. Bieber's mother was 17 years old when she became pregnant. His parents were never married, but maintain a close friendship and common goals regarding their son's personal and professional life. Mallette raised her son with the help of her mother, Diane, and stepfather, Bruce.[17] In September 2012, Mallette's memoirs, titled Nowhere but Up, were published. The book tells of her early life and her work with her son to pursue a career in the music industry. In her book, as well as in an interview with the Today show, Mallette talked about how everyone around her tried to push her toward abortion, and how she refused to abort her baby.[18] Mallette worked a series of low-paying office jobs, raising Bieber as a single mother in low-income housing. Bieber has maintained contact with his father, who married another woman and had two children.[19][20]
Bieber's paternal great-grandfather was German, and his father's other ancestry is English and Irish.[21][22] Bieber's mother is French Canadian.[23][24] He has stated that he believes that he has some undetermined Aboriginal Canadian ancestry.[25] He attended a French-language immersion elementary school in Stratford, the Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School.[17]Interested in hockey, soccer, and chess, he kept his musical aspirations to himself.[19] As he grew up, Bieber taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet.[16][26] In early 2007, aged 12, Bieber sang Ne-Yo's "So Sick" for a local singing competition in Stratford and was placed second.[26][27] Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B songs, and Bieber's popularity on the site grew.
Career
2008–10: Career beginnings and My World
While searching for videos of a different singer, Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, clicked on one of Bieber's 2007 videos by accident. Impressed, Braun tracked down the theater Bieber was performing in, located Bieber's school, and finally contacted Mallette, who was reluctant because of Braun's Jewish religion; she remembered praying, "God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label!" and "God, you don’t want this Jewish kid to be Justin’s man, do you?"[19] However, after praying with her church elders and receiving their encouragement, she permitted Braun to fly Bieber, then 13,[10] to Atlanta, Georgia, to record demo tapes.[19] A week after arriving, Bieber sang for R&B singer/songwriter Usher.[28]Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher.[9] Justin Timberlake was also reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but lost the bidding war to Usher.[9][29] Usher then sought assistance in finding a label home for the artist from then manager Chris Hicks, who helped engineer an audition with his contact Antonio "L.A." Reid of The Island Def Jam Music Group.[30] Reid signed Bieber to Island Records in October 2008 (resulting in a joint venture between RBMG and Island Records) and appointed Hicks as executive Vice-President of Def Jam where he would be able manage Bieber's career at the label.[4][9][10][30] At that point, Bieber and his mother moved to Atlanta temporarily, also the home of Usher and Braun, to record and get counseling from Braun.[9] Braun became Bieber's manager.
Bieber's first single, "One Time", was released to radio while Bieber was still recording his debut album.[31] The song reached number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100 during its first week of release in July 2009,[10] and later peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. During fall 2009, it had success in international markets.[32] The song was certified Platinum in Canada and the US and Gold in Australia and New Zealand.[33][34][35] His first release, an extended play entitled My World, was released on November 17, 2009. The album's second single, "One Less Lonely Girl", and two promo singles, "Love Me", and "Favorite Girl", were released exclusively on the iTunes Store and charted within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100.[32]
"One Less Lonely Girl" was later also released to radio and peaked within the top fifteen in Canada and the US, being certified Gold in the latter.[32] My World was eventually certified Platinum in the US and Double Platinum in both Canada and the UK.[36][37][38] To promote the album, Bieber performed on several live shows such as mtvU's VMA 09 Tour, European program The Dome, YTV's The Next Star, The Today Show,[39][40] The Wendy Williams Show, Lopez Tonight, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, It's On with Alexa Chung, Good Morning America, Chelsea Lately, and BET's 106 & Park with Rihanna. Bieber also guest starred in an episode of True Jackson, VP in late 2009.[41]
Bieber performed Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas" for U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House for Christmas in Washington, which was broadcast on December 20, 2009, on US television broadcaster TNT.[42] Bieber was also one of the performers at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2009.[43] Bieber was a presenter at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010. He was invited to be a vocalist for the remake of "We Are the World" (a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie) for its 25th anniversary to benefit Haiti after the earthquake. Bieber sings the opening line, which was sung by Lionel Richie in the original version.[44]
On March 12, 2010, a version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Bieber is featured in the song, performing the closing lines.[45]
2010–11: My World 2.0, Never Say Never film, and Under the Mistletoe
"Baby", the lead single from his debut album, My World 2.0, which features Ludacris, was released in January 2010 and became an international hit. It charted at number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top ten in several international markets.[32] Two promo singles "Never Let You Go", and "U Smile" were top thirty hits on the U.S. Hot 100, and top twenty hits in Canada.[32] According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received "generally favorable reviews".[46] It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Bieber the youngest solo male act to top the chart since Stevie Wonder in 1963.[47] My World 2.0 also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, Irish Albums Chart, Australian Albums Chart, and the New Zealand Albums Chart[32] and reached the top ten of fifteen other countries.[48][49]To promote the album, Bieber appeared on several live programs including The View, the 2010 Kids Choice Awards, Nightline, Late Show with David Letterman, The Dome and 106 & Park.[50] Bieber collaborated with Sean Kingston on his single "Eenie Meenie" which also appeared on Bieber's debut album. The song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the top-twenty of most other markets. On April 10, 2010, Bieber was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.[51] On July 4, 2010, Bieber performed at the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City.[52] The second single from My World 2.0, "Somebody to Love", was released in April 2010, and a remix was released featuring Bieber's mentor Usher. On June 23, 2010, Bieber went on his first official headlining tour, the My World Tour, starting in Hartford, Connecticut, to promote My World and My World 2.0.[53] In July 2010, it was reported that Bieber was the most searched for celebrity on the Internet.[54] That same month his music video, "Baby", surpassed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" to become the most viewed, and most disliked YouTube video ever.[55] It remained the most viewed video until November 2012. In September 2010, it was reported that Bieber accounted for three percent of all traffic on Twitter, according to an employee of the social-networking site.
Bieber began recording his second album in July 2010 in New York City.[57] At this point, because of puberty, his voice was deeper than it was when he recorded his first album. In April 2010, the singer discussing his vocals remarked, "It cracks. Like every teenage boy, I'm dealing with it and I have the best vocal coach in the world. [...] Some of the notes I hit on "Baby" I can't hit anymore. We have to lower the key when I sing live."[58] Bieber guest-starred in the season premiere of the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which aired on September 23, 2010. He played a "troubled teen who is faced with a difficult decision regarding his only brother", who is also a serial bomber. Bieber was also in a subsequent episode which aired on February 17, 2011, in which his character is killed.[59] Bieber performed a medley of "U Smile", "Baby", and "Somebody to Love" and briefly played the drums at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.[60] Bieber announced in October 2010 that he would be releasing an acoustic album, called My Worlds Acoustic.[61] It was released on Black Friday in the United States and featured acoustic versions of songs from his previous albums, and accompanied the release of a completely new song titled "Pray".[62]
A 3-D part-biopic, part-concert film starring Bieber entitled Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, was released on February 11, 2011, directed by Step Up 3D director Jon Chu. It topped the box office with an estimated gross of $12.4 million on its opening day from 3,105 theaters.[63] It grossed $30.3 million for the weekend and was narrowly beaten by the romantic comedy Just Go with It, which grossed $31 million.[64] Never Say Never reportedly exceeded industry expectations, nearly matching the $31.1 million grossed by Miley Cyrus's 2008 3-D concert film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, which holds the record for the top debut for a music-documentary.[65] Never Say Never grossed a total of $98,441,954 worldwide.[66] The film is accompanied by his second remix album, Never Say Never – The Remixes, released February 14, 2011, and features remixes of songs from his debut album, with guest appearances from Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, and Kanye West, among others.[67]
In June 2011, Bieber was ranked #2 on the Forbes list of Best-Paid Celebrities under 30. He is the youngest star, and 1 of 7 musicians on the list, having raked in $53 million in a 12-month period.[68] On November 1, 2011, Bieber released Under the Mistletoe, his second studio album. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 210,000 copies in its first week of release.
2012–13: Believe
His third studio album, Believe was released on June 19, 2012, by Island Records. The album marks a musical departure from the teen pop sound of his previous releases, and incorporates elements of dance-pop and R&B genres. Intent on developing a more mature sound, Bieber collaborated with a wide range of urban producers for the release as well as some long-time collaborators, including Darkchild, Hit-Boy, Diplo and Max Martin. Entertainment Weekly praised Bieber's evolution, calling the album both a "reinvention and a reintroduction."[75] Rolling Stone noted the deeper voice and more intense beats found on the album, although it lampooned one of his euphemisms for newfound sexual maturity.[76] Believe debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming his fourth number-one album.[77][78][79] The album sold 57,000 copies in its first week in Canada, debuting atop the Canadian Albums Chart.[80]
The Believe Tour, which further promoted the album, began in September 2012 in Glendale, Arizona.[81][82] On December 14, 2012, Bieber appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he announced plans to release an acoustic album titled Believe Acoustic, which was released on January 29, 2013.[83] He stated on Twitter that he will be hosting and performing as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live some time in 2013.[84] He hosted and performed on February 9, 2013. On March 7, 2013, Bieber fainted backstage at London's O2 Arena after complaining of breathing problems throughout his performance and was taken to the hospital.[85][86] Bieber cancelled his second Lisbon, Portugal concert at the Pavilhão Atlântico, which was to be held on March 12, due to low ticket sales. The concert on March 11 went on.[87] In mid-August, 2013, a remixed duet version of Michael Jackson's previously unreleased song "Slave To The Rhythm", featuring Justin Bieber appeared online.[88] Later, a song titled "Twerk" by rapper Lil Twist, featuring Bieber as well as Miley Cyrus, also leaked.[89]
2013: Music Mondays, Believe 3D, and fourth studio album
On October 3, 2013, Bieber announced that he will release a new song every Monday for 10 weeks as a lead-up to Believe 3D, which entered production in 2012 and is expected to be released in December 2013 or early 2014. The first song of Music Mondays, "Heartbreaker", was released on October 7. The second song, "All That Matters" was released on October 14 and the third song "Hold Tight" on October 21. His fourth song "Recovery" was then released on October 28. Believe 3D will be a follow-up to Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, with Jon M. Chu returning to direct. The songs released during Music Mondays will likely lead to a new album in 2014.Personal life
Bieber is a practicing Christian, and has said he believes he has a relationship with Jesus, talks to him and that "he's the reason I'm here".[110][111]
Bieber made comments in a February 2011 profile in Rolling Stone.[114] Asked about abstinence, Bieber responded, "I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them." He said he does not "believe in abortion" and that it is "like killing a baby".[115] He described sexual orientation as "everyone's own decision".[116] Bieber has contributed to the It Gets Better Project,[117] which aims to prevent suicide among LGBT youth.[118]
Bieber has said he is not interested in obtaining United States citizenship and has criticized America's health care system. Praising Canada as being "the best country in the world", he cited its health care system as a model example.[115]
Bieber says the Jewish prayer Shema Yisrael and other Jewish customs before every show he performs.[119][120][121]
On August 30, 2013, a man charged at Bieber in a Toronto nightclub and placed the pop star in a chokehold. The club bouncers intervened before Bieber lost consciousness and pried the attacker away, throwing him to the floor. Justin Bieber then proceeded to kick his attacker several times in the ribs and head while the man was lying on the ground. The security personnel then had to drag a very angry Bieber away from his erstwhile attacker, fearing that he would be killed.
Style, image and fans
Usher comments that while he and Bieber were both signed at the same age, "I had the chance to ramp up my success, where this has happened to Bieber abruptly." As a result, Usher, Braun, Bieber's bodyguard Kenny, and other adults surrounding Bieber constantly coach him on handling fame and his public image.[19] After signing Bieber, Usher appointed one of his former assistants, Ryan Good, to be Bieber's road manager and stylist. Good, once nicknamed Bieber's "swagger coach", created a "streetwise look" for the singer which consisted of baseball caps, hoodies, dog chains and flashy sneakers. Amy Kaufman of The Los Angeles Times comments, "Though a product of a middle-class suburban upbringing in Stratford, Ontario, Bieber's manner of dress and speech ("Wassup man, how you doin'?" or "It's like, you know, whateva' ") suggest he's mimicking his favorite rappers."[97]
Bieber is often featured in teen magazines such as Tiger Beat,[19] and has been labeled as a "teen heartthrob".[98] Wax statues of Bieber are on display at Madame Tussauds wax museums in New York, Amsterdam and London.[99] His change of hairstyle in 2010, and the consequent alterations to Bieber products, led to it being called 'the most expensive musical haircut of all time;[100] one company spent $100,000 to fix its dolls for the 2011 Christmas season.[101]
Bieber has also been criticized for looking and sounding younger than his age, his teen-pop music, image, and frequent media attention.[102] He has been a frequent target of Internet bloggers and message board posters, notably by users of Internet message board 4chan and users of YouTube.[103] Nick Collins of The Daily Telegraph speculated that "Bieber's character also appears to strike a particularly sour note with his Internet critics, with many remarks commenting on his youthful appearance, his teen-pop songs, his image as a heart-throb to young teenage girls and his manner of speech".[102]
Bieber's androgynous appearance has also been frequently noted in the media, including when he appeared on the cover of LOVE magazine's androgyny issue in 2011.[104]Some of his fanbase are known as "Beliebers", which the Chicago Tribune included as one of the top buzzwords of 2010.[105] The early Bieber fanbase developed on YouTube, and predated the release of Bieber's first album.[106][107] Bieber's popularity is a result of the Internet, with a large segment of the fan community actively continuing to use it to communicate with their fellow fans.[106] [108] Bieber's management team makes an effort to mobilize and coordinate Bieber's fans into taking actions related to Bieber.
No comments:
Post a Comment